Energy radiator



July 9, 1935.

C. H. BRASELTON ENERGY RADIATOR Filed Aug. 19, 1950 I NVENTOR PatentedJuly 9. 935

PATENT OFFICE 2,007,930 ENERGY RADIATOR Chester H. Braselton,

New York, N. Y., assignor to Sirian Lamp Company, Newark, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application August 19, 1930, Serial No. 476,344 2 Claims. (Cl. 176-1) This invention relates to anenergy radiator of the combined metal gas conducting type, which has particular utility when applied to therapeutic uses and other uses involving a utilization of 5 special spectral ranges such as would be involved in oblems of plant pathology, growth stimula-- tion, and photography.

An important object of 'the present invention is to provide an energy radiator which may be made to simulate closely the radiation from the sun. I

Another object of the inventionis to provide means which will selectively radiate energy in specific predetermined ranges in order to stimulate, by resonance or other means,'chemical or electrical activity in a particular substance.

Still another object is to provide an energy radiator which may be applied to definite portions of the spectrum and which has, at the same time, such simplicity of construction and operation as to be readily usable in ordinary lamp sockets.

Another object of the invention is to provide an energy radiator adapted for therapeutic or other uses which may be operated on an ordinary electric light socket without the necessity of employing numerous accessory control devices.

Various other objects will become apparent on consideration of the following description and of the accompanying drawing, in which the sin-.

gle figure shown is a view in elevation of a device embodying the invention.

In my co-pending application Serial No. 459,048 filed June 3, 1930, I have described an improved type of energy radiator in which utilization is made of an ionizable gas contained in'a bulb or container, which gas is adapted to be ionized by the passage of a current through a filament coated with an electron emitting material. When the coating is heated. and emits electrons in profusion, the adjacent gas is ionized, and when proper pressure and voltage conditions exist, a layer of activated and ionized gases is formed about the conductor filament.

In the co-pending application above mentioned, the following procedure is utilized to secure aradiator of the above mentioned type. A filament of appropriate resistance, such, for example, as ohms, is coated with various alkaline earth metal oxides, such as the oxides of barium; calcium, or other materials which have been found to emit electrons densely when heated. The base filament'is tantalum or tungsten wire, although other metal conductors may be used. It is not necessary, ordinarily, that the base'material be highly refractory, as the operating temperatures may be relatively low, in many cases not being above that of low red heat.

The filament is preferably coiled and-coated with materials as above mentioned, which may be in the proportions of 40 grams of barium carbonate, 40 grams of calcium carbonate, 8 grams of barium nitrate with a binder of sufficientv nitrocellulose dissolved in amyl acetate to hold the coating on the wire, and the filament is then mounted on a stem support and sealed in the bulb of the envelope.

,The exhaust pump is then connected to the bulb and an oven lowered thereupon to raise the temperature of the bulb and contents to about 400 C., or to as high a temperature as the envelope will stand without softening. Simultaneously electric current is passed through .the filament which'is. heated to red heat of apfilament so that the temperature thereof is slowly raised until it is about 800 degrees, or a bright red color, the exhaust operation being continued until the newly emitted gases are removed. The oven is then raised from the bulb and the filament heated to about 1200 C., the pumping being continued until a high vacuum of one-half micron is again obtained.

The pump is then shut off, the current turned off, and about one-half mm.' of neon gas admitted to the bulb. The filament current is then turned on and gradually increased until a difiused glow completely fills the bulb. When the discharge is uniform throughout the bulb, which usually occurs in less than ten minutes,

- the so-called activating process for the filament.

relative amounts of 50 mm. of neon gas, and 150' mm. of argon. The bulb is then sealed off and a small quantity of magnesium flashed to absorb additional impurities, thus completing the process.

In applying the principles of the radiator above described, to the present invention, I utilize an envelope l having a second opening II to which the stem !2 is sealed, the stem extending within the bulb to form supporting means for the active element of the radiator. Lead-in wires I3 and M are mounted on the stem and extend from points without the bulb where electrical connections are made to a short distance within the bulb, as illustrated by Fig. 1. A central standard I5 is also mounted on the supporting stem l2, which at its upper end is welded or otherwise attached to a cross rod l6. Nickel leads I! and I8 depend from the ends of the rods l6, and connecting the lower ends of these leads to the lead-in wires l3 and M are tungsten coils l9 and 20. Both of these coils are coated by coating material 2! which, when heated, emit electrons in profusion under the gas pressure conditions employed.

Within the container or bulb I0 is a gas or mixture of gases which preferably should be inert and readily ionizable through electronic impact. The gas also should have sufi'icient conductivity so as to function in accordance with the process as hereinabove outlined in connection with my copending application. The above elements and details of construction are in a measure common to those detailed in my co-pending case above referred to.

I have found, however, that where the constituent materials which come into the radiating elements are properly chosen, as well as other factors modified, certain special results may be obtained which appear to be new. As illustrative of a definite application, the use of the invention may be considered as applied to certain therapeutic uses. It is now generally accepted that radiation from the sun with its maximum of emission in the yellow of the luminous range and diminishing through the visible range indefinitely into the ultra-violet and infra-red regions, is essential to the health of human beings, and when there is absence of sunlight, some of the normal physiological functions are inhibited or deranged, resulting in ill health. Hence, it becomes desirable to provide an energy source available at all times of the year which simulates the'sun in its radiation, particularly the radiation of the average of the June sun, which has been found to be particularly beneficial to mankind.

Heretofore, such artificial radiators have been defective, in that the radiation was limited to certain bands, or else the percentage of variation in ranges in which it is desirable were small. I have found that utilizing the principles as set forth in my co-pending application above referred to and as hereinabove described, in conjunction with certain materials entering into the substance of the container, the coating of the filamentary conductor and the gases contained within the bulb, the energy radiation from the sun may be very closely copied so that the radiation may be produced artificially during all months of the year and at any desired time, access to an ordinary light socket being all that is necessary for the utilization of the device.

In coating materials, I have found that for this I purpose various alkaline oxides, such as those of barium and strontium and calcium, or mixtures of these oxides, are useful. For the gases employed it is desirable to include metal vapors such as caesium and mercury, as well as the inert gases argon and neon.

The mercury, where used, may be introduced into the bulb in various ways. In one means I employ mercuric chloride in the form of a button or pill" combined with magnesium, which subsequently is decomposed by heat applied electromagnetically, the chloride combining with magnesium to form an inert compound. The mercury may also be introduced in the form of an amalgam or alloy, or simply in liquid form in a container which is opened by heat in the manner above mentioned. The mercury may also be placed in the bulb through tubing which during the oven-heating process is heat insulated but after the heating and vacuum processes have been completed the mercury is introduced into the bulb in liquid form and the tubing subsequently removed. A small amount of helium gas may be included in the bulb gases to increase the heat conductivity of the same so that the mercury may be more rapidly heated after the filament is initially energized.

Each of the mentioned gases has a special effect upon the type of radiation of the bulb as a whole. :1

Energized mercury vapor tends to transmit radiation in the ultra-violet ranges, there being a maximum toward this side of the spectrum. Neon would normally be combined with the mercury vapor, there thus being a mixture of mercury vapor, neon, and helium gases Where radiation in the infra-red region is desired, a

relatively larger amount of helium should preferably be used, for example, 100 mm. with about 100 mm. of neon. Where, however, it is desired that the radiation of the sun be duplicated as closely as possible a mixture of argon, neon, caesium, and mercury gives very satisfactory results,

the neon accentuating the red, the argon the blue, the caesium the yellow, and mercury ultraviolet and green, and each of these gases giving a certain amount of infra-red radiation. The relative proportions of these gases may be varied considerably. For example, neon may be employed in a range of to 50 mm. of mercury, argon in the range of 100 to 150 mm., caesium in various values from 1 to 100 mm., and mercury also ranges from- 1 to 100 mm. In any combination of these various gases, however, a composite pressure exceeding 150 mm. is generally desirable, a pressure around 200 mm. having been found to be generally satisfactory.

It is noted that the gases employed are preferably monatomic and that the pressures employed give them a breakdown potential per unit length along the coil which is less than that of the potential necessary to raise the temperature of such unit length of the coil to the operating electron emitting point. It is further noted that although the device is described as having. an electron emitting coating on the conductor an operative construction may be had by forming a, pencil or rod of the emitting substance and inserting this rod in the bare coil heater wire. Alternatively, the emitting material may be forced into the space defined by the coil and hardened therein to form a compact core. In accordance with this alternative construction it should be understood that the-expression a coating of electron emitting material on said conductor in the claims is intended the coating material within the coil of conducting substance as well as without the coil.

For duplication of sunlight, the material of the bulb should be such as to permit the emergence of the various radiations without extraordinary hindrance. Ordinary glass tends to cut oil the ultra-violet radiation, and hence other materials should be used for a sunlight type ofradiation. Various special materials, such as quartz, have been found which permit emergence of ultraviolet radiation as well as the infra-red and luminous ,radiations, and they should. be employed in this particular application of the invention. For special radiations certain known silicates are usable in the ultra-violet region and cobalt oxides in the infra-red. Attention is directed to the important'eife'cts of the gaseous'content of the bulb; that is,-there is present the activated atmosphere or. region immediately adjacent and surrounding the conducting coated filament, and external to this acby its absorptive effects, has an appreciable eiiect on the type of emission from the bulb, this gaseous layer, in conjunction with a material of the container, both serving to modify the type of emission. In accordance with the present invention, these various factors must betaken into consideration to efiect.

Ordinary lighting circuits are available for the energy radiators above described, inasmuch as all that is requisite is sufllcient heating current to energize the coating of the radiating element. Current consumption is not necessarily large, and hence the .device may be applied in ordinary lamp sockets which carry 110 volts or higher, although it may be made to work satisfactorily on as low as 30 'volts if the resistance or the filament is suitably selected. v

Where it is desired that a concentrated radiation be employed that is limited to certain definite spectral ranges, these may-be secured by to cover placing appropriate selection of the provide a simulated sunlight gases, as well as by the material of the container. For actinic effects, or for use in stimulating plant growth, or for various pathological treatments, concentration may be secured from the higher ranges of the ultra-violet to low heat waves in the infrared.

It is apparent that the invention as hereinabove described is subject to considerable modification in detail, and accordingly, while I have described only specific uses'and embodiments of the invention, I do not desire to be limited thereto, except as 'in accordance with the claims hereto appended.

Having thus described desire to claim is:

' 1. An energy radiating device comprising the combination of a sealed envelope, a support within said envelope, an electric conductor mounted my invention, what I .on said support, lead-in wires connecting the ends of said conductor to points exterior of the envelope, a coating of electron emitting matetivated layer is the inactive gaseous region which,

rial on said conductor, and a mixture of gases within said container, said mixture including caesium, mercury, argon, and neon in the relative amounts :of 1-100 mm. mercury and 10-50 mm. neon, 100-150 mm. argon, and 1-100 mm. caesium, the material of said container comprising quartz, which is transparent to ultra-violet, visible, and infra-red radiation.

2. An energy radiating device comprising the combination of a sealed envelope, a support within said'envelope, an electric conductor mounted on said support, lead-in wires connecting the ends of said conductor to points exterior of the envelope, a coating of electron emitting material on said conductor, and a mixture of gases within said container, said mixture including caesium, mercury, argon, and neon in the relative amounts of 1-100 mm. mercury and 1050 mm. neon, 100-150 mm. argon, and 1-100 mm. cazsium, the material ofsaid container being transparent to, ultra-violet, visible and infra-red radiation.

. CHESTER H. BRASELTON. 

